As The Leaves Change
by seriousmuchXD
Summary: Things were going great. Everything was perfect. At least, that's what she thought. Until one night, he just left - vanished without a trace. He broke her heart and left her to pick up the shattered pieces.
1. Prologue

**Hi! I haven't written a story for months now and this is my first attempt at a Teen Titans story. So, I hope that it isn't _that _awful. :)**

**Anyway, this is a KF/J simply because I love them. This story is set after Trouble in Tokyo. Um... I kinda added a bit of Young Justice here, and I know the shows aren't exactly related to each other but I needed to add a different team and I thought, 'Hey, why not?'**

**So, this isn't exactly a crossover because I guess there's only minimal YJ, but please tell me if you think I need to change it into the crossover section. I'd be happy to transfer it there :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**So I guess that's about it. I hope you enjoy reading it and tell me what you think! Thanks^^**

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**Prologue**

"KF, for the last time, who is this chick? And how do you and Robin both know her?"

Kid Flash did not respond, blue eyes glued to the girl helplessly sprawled on the bed before him - unconscious and unresponsive. His grip on her hand tightened, mindlessly stroking his thumb over her palm.

It'd been three years. Three years since he had last seen her.

Life was pulling them in separate directions. He'd fought for her in any way he could, hoping that his efforts would not be in vain, and that one day, maybe - just maybe - fate would let him have her. Then maybe they could be together.

He once thought that they could stand a chance. That even though the odds were against their favor, they would prove everyone wrong. That together, they would battle through whatever tempest was put in their way.

But that was three years ago.

And now, here they were, in the exact same position they'd been when he left her that fateful night in November.

He winced at the memory.

He hadn't stopped thinking about that ever since, mentally scolding himself for being such a coward. He could face countless robots, monstrous lizards and deformed aliens, but he wasn't even brave enough to say goodbye.

_Stupid. Idiot._

Three years ago, he'd convinced himself that he was doing the right thing, and that his decision was for the best. But now, as her frail figure lay limp on white sheets stained with her blood, he regretted everything he'd done.

And even though life had kept them apart for so long, his heart stayed in the same place – with a beautiful, pink-haired girl who'd captured it from the moment they first met.

Slowly, he reached for her wrist, gently placing two fingers on top of her cold, pale skin, and searched for her pulse.

It was there. Faint but still.

He did not resist the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She'd always been a fighter. His heart leapt every time he felt a soft bump against his fingertips. He swore they grew stronger with every passing beat.

"Um, hello? Earth to Kid Flash? Remember us?" The annoyed voice of Artemis shook him out of his reverie.

He hesitated. "She's…an old friend. We go back."

Aqualad stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Kid. The damages on her skull were strong, but not substantial enough to put her in a coma and not hard enough to cause severe head trauma. She should awaken in a few moments, albeit with a serious headache."

"That's not what I'm afraid of."

Superboy crossed his arms, eyebrows scrunched in a troubled frown. "Why was she in that warehouse in the first place? And how did she end up with all those bruises and wounds? I don't know about you guys, but I seriously doubt she did that to herself."

The red-haired speedster shook his head. "No clue."

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Well, that narrows it down."

Aqualad gave her a knowing look, silently reprimanding her for her words as Kid Flash glared at her. The blonde archer shrugged her shoulders, mumbling incoherent apologies under her breath.

"So what do we do know?" Superboy asked expectantly.

"We wait," the Atlantean replied, his voice low and apologetic. "That's all we can do."

Kid Flash sighed. Aqualad was right; they would have to wait until she had fully awakened. Perhaps then they would get some answers. He gulped; he wasn't sure he was completely prepared to face her. His head bowed down, he silently prayed for the best.

"Star, how many times do I have to -"

Wally felt a stir beside him. He froze; his eyes automatically found their way to her as she tossed around, raising her arms into the air sluggishly. His breathing stopped, watching as her eyes slowly opened.

Her pink eyes widened as she visibly took in the scene before her.

"You're not Starfire," she stated plainly. "Who are you? Where am I? How did you find me? Where are-" She cut herself off, stopping midsentence as though she'd realized something important.

"Crap." She muttered to herself. She said something else, but Wally didn't catch her words. She shifted, struggling to sit up. She winced suddenly, raising her hand to her temple spontaneously. Her eyes narrowed and her lips parted.

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Jinx-"

Slowly, she turned her head slightly to face him.

He could not read the emotions on her face; he searched for the words in his head, but his throat was dry and no voice escaped his lips.

For a moment that lasted an eternity, they just sat there staring at each other. Motionless.

He gazed at her wordlessly as she did the same; her eyes still shone brighter than the stars, glistening as they caught the faint rays of sunlight that streamed through a nearby window. Her features had visibly softened and her skin was paler than it had been before. Her lips were drained of their color, perhaps due to the astounding amount of blood she had lost earlier. Her hair was longer; pink locks framed her face, cascading in soft waves that fell of her shoulders.

He couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

Dried blood stained her face and her mouth was bruised. There was long a gash across the bridge of her nose, as well as several cuts on both her cheeks.

Her face hardened suddenly, twisting into a livid frown. She spat out the words as though they were poison.

"Great. I'm in hell."

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**So... what did you think?**

**Should I continue?**

**Please review! Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter One

**Hey! I'm back :) Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you like the story.** **So, this part is slightly RobStar and there's a little bit of BBRae, if you squint really hard.****  
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**PLEASE READ THIS: This chapter is set before the prologue. I just wanted to tell you guys that so that there's no confusion.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**So, I hope you like it and tell me what you think :)**

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**Chapter One**

Robin sighed dejectedly just as soon as the transmission ended and the large screen before him faded to black. Sinking into his black leather seat, he placed his head in his hands struggling to figure out what had just happened.

Batman needed him.

The masked teenager almost laughed at the thought. The great Bruce Wayne needed his ex-sidekick.

He thought he would still have hard feelings for the man. He thought he would be mad at Batman for even calling him, for asking so much of his young protégé. But he wasn't. Time heals all wounds, even those that made the boy bitter and angry.

Four years. Four years since their falling out. Four years since he'd left the team, since he'd left his former mentor. And now, they needed him back.

The old Robin would have immediately jumped onto his feet and rushed to the Bat's side, more than happy to rejoin his old team. The old Robin wouldn't have given it a second thought; he'd be gone as soon as it was possible. Heck, the old Robin wouldn't have even been here in the first place; he would have been on his knees, begging his adopted father to take him back.

But then again, that was the old Robin.

Things were different now. Things change and people change, just as the leaves change color and spring fades into fall. Just as the white blanket of snow in the winter slowly melts in the warmth of summer. Just as the sun sets in the evening, only to rise in the morning and welcome the dawn of a new day. Just as a young boy became the thing he feared the most – a shadow of his former self, a mirror image of his old mentor.

Robin was no longer thirteen, no longer so carefree and light-hearted, no longer so obsessed with living up to the glory of his father figure's name. He never wanted to be like Batman – cold and calculating, serious and incapable of showing affection.

Robin briefly wondered how his old teammates would react when they saw him again. He guessed that Megan would be the first to welcome him back, giving him a warm hug and cheerful smile in the process. Artemis would probably laugh at his less than subtle costume change, commenting on how much the Boy Wonder had changed since they'd last seen him. Aqualad might clap him on the back, saying that it was good to have him back on the team. Conner would most likely be the last to greet him, shaking his hand firmly.

His thoughts landed on Kid Flash. The speedster had left the team just a few months after Robin, wanting to make a name for himself in the world. He wondered if Wally had also been called and if the older boy stubbornly rejected the offer or not. He shrugged the thought away. He would find out sooner or later.

Robin knew he had no say in the matter; it was his duty to respond to whatever requests the League, especially Batman, asked of him. If they wanted him back, it was not in his place to say no.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the chair, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to do. Exiting his room, he made his way to the common room, where all his teammates were.

_Ex-teammates soon. _He scowled at the thought.

He took in the scene before him. Raven was completely absorbed in the book in her hands, nearly halfway through as she flipped its pages. Cyborg and Beast Boy were seated on the couch in front of the television, shouting taunts to each other as they furiously pushed the buttons on their respective controllers.

The Boy Wonder looked around, searching for a mass of fiery red hair. And as if on cue, Starfire floated through the doors, smiling at him brightly as she entered.

He could not find it in him to look at her, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He looked away almost too quickly, but he did not miss the look of brief disappointment and confusion that crossed her face.

His heart sunk, and he cursed the heavens for putting him in this position. In his head, he was screaming profanities to the League, to Batman, to the universe.

Why?

Why did they always have to take away everything he held dear?

Why did they need to make him suffer so badly?

Did his happiness not matter? Will he always have to put the happiness of others before his own?

Was it not his right to be happy? To love and be loved in return?

For the first time in a long time, he felt so content, like he belonged.

And almost as quickly as it'd come, it was being taken away from him; he wished he could hold on longer, tighten his grip on this. He did not want to let them go. But he knew that it was only a matter of time before they too were pried from his fingertips.

"Guys!" he managed to croak out, though his voice was strained. Tears stung his eyes but he forced them back, not wanting to break down and show any sign of weakness. "Couch, now."

His teammates could probably sense something in his tone, and so they quickly obeyed. He walked towards them, each step taking up so much of his strength. When he was in front of them, they looked up at him expectantly.

Robin looked at each of them. He would miss them. So much.

Beast Boy and his many blooper-worthy moments, his love of tofu, his lame jokes, his uncanny ability to make them all smile in the most awkward moments, even when he didn't try. In many ways, he was the glue that held the entire team together, though Robin doubted he knew that. Beast Boy was the little brother Robin never had, and he would never in a million years, have it any other way.

Cyborg, who was more human than all of them put together. His second-in-command, the voice of reason when Robin was too blinded by rage to see what was right in front of him. The best cook out of the Titans, which wasn't saying much but still. How he would always got of his way to protect them, to keep them from harm even when it meant hurting himself because he understood it as his responsibility.

Raven, whose eyes were usually devoid emotions, was probably the most fragile of them all, though she tried to hide it. And although at first she was the least willing to open up, he witnessed her walls crumble over time, gradually letting them in. He saw it in the shy nods she gave them each morning, the way she would smile slightly at a certain changeling's jokes when she thought no one was looking and how she no longer reprimanded him when he called her 'Rae'.

Starfire and her…

He couldn't decide what he'd miss most about her. Her smile, her kindness, her innocence, her voice, her effortless beauty, her love for all, her ability to see the good in everyone, even when they themselves could no longer find it. She was home to him, and she will always be.

He didn't want to give them up.

He silently swore to himself that he would never forget them.

He hoped they would forgive him. Because God knows he would never be able to forgive himself.

For years, Bruce had been his father. The man who raised him, the one who taught him all he'd needed to know. The only family he had left.

_No._ Robin shook his head. He had a family. And they were right in front of him.

Originally, he had not planned on creating a team, not when he'd recently left his old one.

But then it just happened.

Some things, he realized, we don't plan. Some things, especially the most special ones, take you by surprise.

"Robin?" Starfire asked timidly. "Is there something bothering you?"

He swallowed, fighting the urge to run. He was about to lose his family again. "I'm leaving."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "On a mission?"

He did not respond, clenching his fists tightly.

"Where are you going?" Cyborg asked, his face confused as he patiently waited for his friend's answer.

"Batman, he – uh – called me up. Said he needed me for something important." His voice faltered and his knees grew weak. It took all of his strength to keep himself from crashing onto the floor.

"So when are we leaving?" Beast Boy questioned.

Robin shook his head, focusing his vision on the floor. "It's something I have to do alone. By myself."

"When will we expect your return?" Starfire looked at him eagerly.

He met her gaze slowly, searching her green eyes for the strength to do this. His chest tightened and he felt as though he had stopped breathing. "Starfire… I'm not coming back."

Everyone froze, unsure of what they'd just heard.

Beast Boy was the first to break the silence, laughing awkwardly. "Very funny, Robin. You almost got me there. But seriously, what's going on?"

The older male stared at him stonily, not responding to his question.

"You're serious?" The changeling's eyes widened. "Y-You're joking right? This has to be some kind of sick joke. You can't just-"

"Leave the team," Cyborg finished. "This isn't funny, man. You can't leave! You're Robin!" he said as though it was enough explanation. "This is your life!"

The boy looked away. "I never said it wasn't."

Raven, who usually strayed from arguments, spoke up next. "We need you, Robin. You're our leader."

"Cyborg is in-charge when I am gone."

"And if I refuse?"

"You cannot," he told the half-robot.

"There has to be another way!" Beast Boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air furiously.

"There is none."

"What will we do without you?"

He smiled sadly. "You'll be fine." Robin swallowed his tears, deciding he would be brave for all of them. "Look, this isn't easy for me. But this is something I have to do. I have no choice."

When the others opened their mouths to protest, Starfire's voice sliced through the air like a sharp knife.

"Friends, please. If Robin feels that it is his duty, then it is not in our place to stop him. All we can do is support him."

She took a step forward, forcing a sad smile onto her lips. "Farewell, friend Robin. You will be missed."

The boy could only look on helplessly as the Tamaranean slowly made her way out the door, her name lingering on his lips.

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**What do you think?**

**Was it good or bad?**


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